Beyond standard relational database objects, HCL Informix® can be extended to handle specialized data types, access methods, routines, and other objects. Informix includes many built-in extensions that are fully integrated in the database server. Informix also provides DataBlade® modules, which are packages of extended database objects for a particular purpose and that are installed separately from the database server. Alternatively, you can create your own user-defined objects for Informix.
You can create user-defined data types, routines, access methods, and other database objects to suit your needs. You can use application programming interfaces to write user-defined routines and applications that access data in Informix® databases.
The DataBlade® Developers Kit (DBDK) guides contain information about the tools you can use to develop and package DataBlade modules, which extend the functionality of HCL Informix® databases.
The DataBlade® Developers Kit InfoShelf is designed to help you work with BladeSmith.
The Tutorial is a set of exercises that demonstrate how to create extensions to HCL Informix® and package them as DataBlade® modules by using DBDK. Support for DataBlade Developers Kit (DBDK) is removed starting Informix Server 14.10.xC6.
This section contains additional reference information
These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
The Informix® DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide describes information about the DataBlade API, the C-language application programming interface (API) provided with HCL Informix.
The Informix® DataBlade® API Function Reference describes the DataBlade API functions and the subset of Informix ESQL/C functions that the DataBlade API supports.
The HCL Informix® DataBlade® module overview serves as an overview of the HCL Informix DataBlade module development process.
The HCL Informix® DataBlade® Developers Kit User's Guide describes how to use tools to develop and package DataBlade modules.
This section describes the example DataBlade® modules provided with the DataBlade Developers Kit.
This exercise demonstrates how to use the tools of the -- BladeSmith and the DBDK Visual C++ Add-In--to create a DataBlade® module with a user-defined routine and to debug it.
This exercise demonstrates how to create distinct data types and the casts that convert them. This exercise consists of 14 steps. It takes approximately one hour to complete.
This exercise demonstrates how to create row data types and user-defined routines that operate on them. This exercise consists of 11 steps. It takes approximately one hour to complete.
This exercise demonstrates how to create opaque data types, their support routines, and user-defined routines that operate on them. This exercise has 11 steps. It takes approximately one hour to complete.
This exercise demonstrates how to use interfaces to define how one DataBlade® module depends on another. This exercise has 16 steps. It takes approximately one hour to complete
This exercise demonstrates how to create a DataBlade® module that handles smart large objects. This exercise has nine steps. It takes approximately one hour to complete.
The J/Foundation Developer's Guide describes how to write user-defined routines (UDRs) in the Java™ programming language for Informix®.
The Informix® R-Tree Index User's Guide describes the HCL Informix R-tree secondary access method and how to access and use its components.
The Informix® User-Defined Routines and Data Types Developer's Guide describes how to define new data types and enable user-defined routines (UDRs) to extend HCL Informix.
The Informix® Virtual-Table Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a primary access method with the Virtual-Table Interface (VTI) so that users have a single SQL interface to HCL Informix tables and to data that does not conform to the storage scheme of HCL Informix.
The Informix® Virtual-Index Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a secondary access method with the Virtual-Index Interface (VII) to extend the built-in indexing schemes of HCL Informix typically with a DataBlade® module.